Mechanical pencil



Sept. 14, 1943.

L J. Mos-r MECHANICAL PENCIL Filed May 16, 1942 application,

Patented Sept. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 2,329,355 MECHANICAL PENCIL Lucifer J'. Most, Hudson County, N. J.V

Application May 16, 1942, Serial No. 443,242

7 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0- 18) My invention relates to mechanical pencils of the type disclosed in my Reissue Patent No. 21,428 of April 16, 1940.

The object of my invention is to simplify the structure and to provide a mechanical pencil in which the metallic parts can be reduced vto an interiorly threaded member for propelling the leads, with all the other parts constituting the mechanical pencils to be made of plastic, if so desired. AAnother object of the invention is to provide a lead propelling member which is formed of a longitudinal ribbed iiat member helically wound in which the rib so helically wound forms the thread interiorly of said wound member.

In the appended drawing forming part of this Figure 1 is an elevation of a pencil embodying my invention, a part of which is shown in section on line |-I, Figure 2,.

Figure 2 is a cross section on line 2-2, Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross section on line 33, Figure 1, Figure 4 is a face and end elevations of a flat member provided with a rib,

Figure 5 is an elevation partly in section of a lead propelling member spirally Wound from the member shown in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a face and end elevation of a modiiied flat member, and v Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssection of the lower part of Figure 1. V

Referring to lthe drawing, I -is a pencil barrel having a cylindrical bore Il open at the upper end of the barrel, the lower end of the bore being provided with a recess I2 coaxial with the bore and leading to a lead outlet I3. The outlet forms a lead guide of cross section to prevent a nonround lead from turning therein while permitting the lead to move longitudinally in the lead guide. As shown, the lead guide is of triangular cross section. The lower end of the barrel wherein the lead outlet and vguide I3 is formed, is tapered exteriorly in the customary'way. By the provision of the recess I2 in the bore II, a shoulder I4 is formed in the bottom of the bore II of the barrel I0.

Rotatively mounted in the I0 is a tube orA sleeve I5 having a bottom I6 at the lower end thereof from which an extension I1 projects to be housed in the recess I2 when the sleeve I is positioned within the barrel. When the sleeve is so positioned the bottom I6 is at the shoulder I4. The sleeve I5 at the open end thereof is provided .with a section I8 of a greater outer diameter .than the rest of the sleeve, so as to form a lower shoulder I3 which rests on bore II of the barrel the open end of the barrel when the sleeve I5 is within the barrel. The outer surface of the section I8 is milled to facilitate the manipulation y thereof. The upper end of the enlarged section I8 is recessed interiorly as shown at 20, to form an interior-shoulder 2I.

Positioned within the sleeve I5 is a lead magazine 22, tubular in shape and mounted to 'rotate relative to the sleeve I5. The magazine 22 has its bore 23 extending through its major length and at its open end providedwith a threaded plug 24, through the threaded opening of the magazine leads may be inserted. At the threaded end the magazine has an exteriorly enlarged portion or head 25 to properly engage the upper edge 'of thesleeve I5 and the shoulder 2| in the recess 20 of said sleeve. This engagement of the head 25 of the magazine with the sleeve I5 brings the lower end of said magazine in close proximity of the bottom I6 of the sleeve I5. In the lower end of the magazine 22 a lead guide 26 is formed of similar cross section as that, of the lead guide I3. Preferably the upper portion of the lead4 guide 26 is slightly larger than the one nearer to the bottom of the sleeve I5 to facilitatetheentrance of the lead from the magazine into the guide 26. To properly align and register the lead guides 26 and I3 and to prevent said guides from relative angular movements the barrely I0 and the magazine 22 are coupled by a yoke 2l, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2. This yoke 2l straddles the section I8 of the sleeve I5 in consequence permitting a relatively rotary movement between the coupled barrel and magazine and the sleeve. The sleeve, being nested between the magazine and the barrel, is prevented from longitudinal .movement relatively to said barrel and magazine by the yoke.

The extension I1 of the sleeve I5 houses an yinteriorly threaded member 28 which is in alignment with the registering lead guides I3 and 26, and in view of its location it 'is rotatable relative to said guides, but prevented from longitudinal movement relative to same. This interiorly threaded member 28 is formed from a fiat member 28' having a longitudinall rib 29 onone of its faces running along the member. The height and the width of the rib are such as to provide the necessary cross section of the thread desired in the lead to be fed by it, when said T-shaped member is helically wound, and in consequence of which winding the rib is also formed rinto a, running within the helically wound member. As a lead is fed from the magazine 22 through the lead guide `26 therefrom and it enters the helically wound threaded member 28, the rib 29 within the threaded member cuts into the edges of the lead when the sleeve I Is rotated within the barrel by the manipulation of the section I8 of the sleeve spanned by the yoke 21. In consequence of this engagement of the threaded member with the lead passing through the guide 26, the lead is fed progressively through the threaded member into the lead guide I3 of the barrel I0 since the guide 26 and guide I3 are made to register by the coupling of the 1 magazines With the barrel by the yoke 21.

The lead guide I3 is made to frictionally engage the lead passing thereto so as to oier a slight resistance to its longitudinal movement, thereby preventing the lead when it leaves the threaded member 28 from dropping out. The portion of the lead which has passed from the threaded member 28 into the lead guide I3 is fed out therefrom by the lead which is successively fed by the threaded member 28 to and through the lead guide I3. l

Due to the helical formation of the interiorly threaded member 28 it is self-locking within the recess housing itin the extension I'I,= of the sleeve I5. Preferably the recess housing the threaded member has a shoulder 30 at the opening 3| in the bottom I6 of the sleeve I5 to form an abutment. The abutment at the other end of the threaded member is formed by the bottom 32 in the recess l2.

As clearly shown in Figure 5, the helically shaped threaded member 28 is wound from a T-shaped wire 28 into a helix with the rib forming the stem of the T constituting the thread in the interior of the helix. In place of a T wire an L-shaped wire or member may be used, as shown in Figure 6, with the same result. Best results are obtained in forming the helically shaped threaded member when the width of the thread and the height of the same are of equal size. Naturally the width of the wire or member and the diameter of the helix formed therefromwith the rib in the interior thereof depends on what thickness'of lead is to be used, and naturally the sizes of the wire or member or the rib will vary with the varying cross sectional measure of the lead to be fed by it.

With the exception of the threaded member 28, all parts described can -be made of plastic, so that the only metallic part in such a pencil is the lead propelling interiorly threaded member 28.

I claim:

l. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel having a non-round lead outlet forming a lead guide adapted to prevent a non-round lead from turning therein while permitting the lead to move longitudinally of said guide, a sleeve mounted to revolve within the barrel and having an interiorly threaded member positioned in proximity ofthe barrel guide, a lead magazine revolubly mounted in the' sleeve and having a non-round lead guide adapted to prevent a lnon-round lead from turning therein, while permitting the lead to move longitudinally in said guide, said lead guide in the magazine being located in the proximity of the threaded member in the sleeve, said lead guides in the barrel and the magazine being coaxial with the threaded member in the sleeve, means coupling the barrel with the magazine to prevent a relative rotation or longitudinal movement therebetween and maintaining tht lead guides in register, said coupling means preventing the sleeve from moving longitudinally relative to the barrel and the magazine while permitting the sleeve to turn relatively to the barrel and magazine.

2. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel having a lead guide of angular cross section, a lead magazine in the barrel also having .a lead guide of angular cross section aligning with the lead guide of the barrel, an interiorly threaded member positioned between the lead guides and In alignment therewith, a sleeve rotatlvely mounted between the barrel and the magazine and coupled with the threaded member, means coupling the magazine with the barrel to prevent relative movement therebetween while permitting the sleeve to revolve relatively to the barrel and the magazine while preventing the sleeve from moving longitudinally of said barrel and magazine, said coupling means of the barrel and magazine maintaining the lead guides in register.

3. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel having a lead guide of angular cross section, a sleeve revoluble in the barrel and projecting out of same, an interiorly threaded member at the lead guide 'of the barrel coupled `to the 4sleeve to move therewith, a lead magazine revoluble in the sleeve, said magazine having a lead guide of langular cross section similar to that of the barrel,

'and spaced from the lead guide of the barrel by the threaded member, and means coupling the barrel and the magazine and spanning the sleeve portion projecting out of the barrel, said coupling means maintaining the lead guides in register and permitting said sleeve to revolve relative to the barrel and magazine, while preventing its longitudinal movement therebetween.

4. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel having a lead guide of angular cross section, a sleeve revoluble in the barrel and projecting out of same, an interiorly threaded member at the lead guide of the barrel coupled to the sleeve to move there- 4 with, a lead magazine revoluble in the sleeve, said magazine having a lead guide of angular cross section similar to that of the barrel and spaced from the lead guide of the barrel by the threaded member, and a yoke coupling the barrel to the magazine and spanning the portion of the sleeve projecting out of the barrel,said yoke maintaining the lead guides in register and permitting a rotation of the sleeve relatively to the barrel and magazine, while preventing the sleeve from moving longitudinally of said barrel and magazine.

5. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel, a sleeve revoluble in the barrel, a magazine revoluble 'in the sleeve, said barrel and magazine having aligned spaced lead guides of angular cross section, a threaded member positioned between the guides in alignment therewith and coupled to the sleeve to move therewith, said sleeve having a portion thereof projecting out of the barrel, a

I said yoke spanning the projected portion of the sleeve to permit manipulation of same so that it may be turned relative to the barrel and magazine, said yoke preventing a relative movement between the magazine and the barrel and maintaining the lead guides thereof in register.

6. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel, a sleeve revoluble in the barrel, a lead magazine revoluble in the sleeve, said barrel and magazine have spaced and aligned lead guides'of angular cross-section, an interiorly threaded member between the lead guides and in alignment therewith, said interiorly threaded member being coupled to the sleeve to move therewith, and means coupling the barrel with the magazine to prevent a relative movement therebetween, said coupling means permitting an angular movement to said sleeve relative to the magazine and barrel.

'1. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel having a lead guide of angular cross-section, a sleeve revoluble in the barrel, a threaded member coupled to the sleeve to move therewith .and in alignment with the lead guide, a lead magazine rev- 10 oluble in the sleeve and having a lead guide of angular cross-section in alignment with the tlrst mentioned lead guide and spaced from it by the thread member, and means coupling themaga.- zine with the barrel to prevent a relative movement between the two, said coupling means permitting the sleeve to turn relatively to the barrel and magazine.

LUCIFER J. MOST. 

